“The Wounds of a Friend”
Galatians 4:12-20
Introduction.: Theology is always practical.
Galatians addresses right doctrine, it also speaks to Christian living. Tim
Keller affirmed the practical relevance of this section of Galatians:
These
verses set before us two contrasts. One is between gospel faith and worldly
religion (v 8-11), and is one of the most important and remarkable insights of
the whole book. The other is between gospel ministry and worldly ministry (v
12-20), and gives us insights into how the gospel practically affects our relationships
with others… (Keller, Galatians For You).
Last week we looked at 2:8-11, and this week we turn to
verses 12-20, and consider the practical outworking of the Gospel in our lives.
I remember someone giving advice on preaching: “Your people won’t remember everything
you tell them. But they will remember if you loved them.” If you’ve been
reading Galatians these last few months as we have been going through this
series on Getting the Gospel Right, I hope you know that Paul was not
all head and no heart! He has been direct, getting to the matter the
Galatians were immersed in, and endangered by, from the first verses. But if
you had any doubt, these verses that we’ll read today assure us that Paul is
confronting them out of love. The Proverb says “Faithful are the wounds of a
friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful” (Prov 27:6). And that summarizes
well the contrast Paul is making between his own ministry to the Galatians, and
the message and ministry of the Judaizers among them. Paul is only concerned
with loving the Galatians enough to tell them the truth, even if it hurts, and he
hopes to turn them back toward the Gospel truth: grace alone, through faith
alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!
John Piper
suggests that
“…the
basic reason why Christian faith meets with opposition in the world and even
finds resistance in our own hearts is that true saving faith always brings with
it the reshaping of our heart and mind so that it is no longer we who live but
Christ in us. There is in every human heart an intense and powerful love for
the praise of men.”
Paul loved the people who he served, the churches he planted,
the leaders he mentored. He has been harsh in this letter, but rather than just
saying what they perhaps would have wanted to hear, he spoke the truth in
love. This is what sets us apart
from the world, what tells them we belong to Jesus: “By this men will know
that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
The Maine*
Idea: Brotherly
love should be the basis of our caring and our accountability in the church,
and growth, to God’s glory, should be the goal.
I. There is a bond
of love in God’s family
(4:12a). Notice the change in tone at this point in the letter. Paul had been
harsh, perhaps even painfully direct, and now he reveals his heart felt concern
for the Galatians…
“Brothers, I entreat you, become as I
am, for I also have become as you are.”
“I beg of you brethren…” Another translation says, “Brothers, I
urge you…” This is a very personal appeal from Paul, quite a contrast from
3:1,3! This is an urgent letter from the
apostle, but the excitement over their flirting with apostasy is now overcome
by his genuine love for them as his spiritual children. Its almost as if he “sighed” as he wrote
4:11, in moving to this paragraph. If
there was any doubt in the readers’ minds what Paul thought and felt about
them, it is very clear at this point that his motivation was his love for them
in Christ. Confronting error or sin
or inconsistency in the church is not wrong, in fact it is necessary. That is, as
long as the motivation is brotherly love and the desire is not to punish them
or to make ourselves look good, but rather to restore. For their good and
for God’s glory.
“become as I am…” In many contexts
Paul exhorts the believers he is writing to to follow his example of faith. He was not one to say “do as I say, not as I
do.” I remember once when our daughter was maybe 4 years old, we were going
down the darkened steps of the church I pastored in NJ. I said, “Stick close
Sarah.” Her reply was, “OK Dad, I’ll follow you, you follow God.” That was
convicting! Paul walked so closely with the Lord, he could say with confidence,
“Follow me, as I follow Christ!” Become as I am. But he reminds
them of his relationship with them, how he sought to understand and identify
with the nuances of their culture. He, in a sense, became “like them.” In this
context he is saying that just as he received them as his spiritual children,
just as he became “like them” by identifying with them and becoming one of
their own, so should they receive his admonition as their spiritual father,
they should “become like him” (c.f. 4:19). Tim Keller said,
Our
words are not sufficient for (and maybe not even most important in) persuading
others about the truth of Christ. People have to be able to look into our
hearts and lives, to assess how we handle trouble, how we deal with
disappointment and interruptions, how we conduct our relationships, how we feel
and act, so that they can see whether Christ is real and how the gospel affects
a day-to-day human life. Generally, we find faith mainly through
relationships with joyful, flawed-but-honest, loving Christians, not through
arguments, information and books.
Ideally, our lives are putting Christ on display, showing
His beauty to the world. Not that we do so perfectly, but people see something
real, something authentic, about our faith, and about how we live it
day-to-day.
There are many
characteristics that we might choose to be defined by: intelligence, hard work,
honesty, humor. Those are all good. But Jesus said, “…by this men will know
that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:33-35). Brotherly love
should be the basis of our caring and accountability in the church, and our growth,
to God’s glory, should be the goal.
II. If we really
love, we must be willing to confront (12b-16).
…You
did me no wrong. 13 You know
it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at
first, 14 and though my
condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me
as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. 15
What then has become of the blessing you felt? For I testify to you that, if
possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. 16 Have I then become your enemy
by telling you the truth?
First, Paul
relates the circumstances under which he first ministered to the Galatians. And
he reminds them of how graciously they had accepted him (12b-13). I think this
reminds us that there are somethings love overlooks. Things that might make us
uncomfortable, or even repel us personally. If it isn’t sin, can we look past
differences of culture or the like for the good of the relationship?
Paul reminds
the Galatians of the situation under which they had met, the unlikely, perhaps
unpleasant, circumstances that opened the door for him to share Christ with
them. God can work sovereignly through unusual circumstances to bring us
together. “…because of a bodily illness I preached to you the first time…”
Some think that while in Pamphilia (Acts 13:13-14) Paul contracted Malaria and
went to Galatia to recuperate. Maybe,
but truthfully we don’t know for certain what Paul’s physical malady was (eye
trouble, malaria, epilepsy) [nor do we even know if this is to be identified
with his “thorn in the flesh” he refers to in 2 Cor 12:7-10] but whatever it
was it was serious. Yet God used his trial to bring him into a community, to
allow extended fellowship with a group of people, who became believers, and at
least initially were taught and discipled by Paul. Galatia wasn’t part of Paul’s
ministry plan, but God used that situation for the good of the Galatians, and
for Paul’s good as well. A lesson here: it is good to plan, to think
ahead about our goals and the next steps in our lives and ministries, but remember
that our plans are always subject to God’s revision. A student of mine used to
say, “Man plans, and God laughs!”
Are you open to
God’s redirection? Can it be that the circumstances of life have opened to you
an unexpected opportunity? Remember the story of Queen Esther, when Mordecai
wondered if she had risen to power “for such a time as this”? Can I ask, how did you come to this
church? What were the series of
circumstances that God used, the people, the events, to get you here? Do you
see His hand in it all?
The church
should be a place where we can find acceptance, understanding, help,
accountability, and also opportunities to bless others. That was Paul’s
experience when he first ministered among the Galatians…
Paul refers to “…that which was a trial…” The Galatians knew what he was referring
to, we don’t. But even so, we can get the lesson: It is easy to be accepting of
those who have something to offer us, but are we as accepting of people who
have a lot of needs, but at least initially, seemingly little to offer? Could
it be that God is working to teach us something, to grow our faith?
Whatever the trial was, Paul says of the
Galatians’ response to him, “…you did not
despise or loathe…” Common in the Ancient Near East to view sickness as a
judgement from God. Remember Job’s
friends (cf. Job 4:7-9)? And the disciples when they saw the man born blind
(John 9:2)? Remember the reaction of the natives on Patmos when Paul was bitten
by a snake after having survived a shipwreck (Acts 28:3,4)? But the Galatians, their
hearts being softened by God, did not reject Paul. The word “loathe” [ekptuo] literally meant to “spit out” in disgust. It implied a
condition that was repulsive. I remember a young couple that was married in
the first church I pastored. When they came back from their honeymoon, we
learned that something happened to the husband when they were scuba diving in
the Caribbean. He experienced something called “mask squeeze.” I don’t know
exactly what happened, but the result was the whites of his eyes were blood-red.
Not just blood shot, but they looked like they had been painted with red paint.
When they returned, he went to the apartment of someone who rented from them,
and as soon as the woman looked at him, she started to cry! It was that hard
to look at! I don’t think Paul was doing any scuba diving, but whatever the
ailment was that he had, there was something seemingly repulsive about it. Even
so, the Galatians looked past the surface, and they received him warmly. His
message touched their hearts and many of them believed. A good reminder to us
not to get too hung up with physical appearances, externals. Are we willing to reach out to and embrace
people who are despised by the world?
Paul goes even further and says, not only
were you not repulsed, “…but you received
me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus himself…” The word “angel”
can mean “messenger,” which Paul certainly was, or perhaps he could be saying that
he was given a reception worthy of an angel from heaven. He was welcomed that warmly and
genuinely. When we welcome people into
the church we take responsibility for one another. We love one another, because
Christ first loved us. We make folks feel at home, we develop relationships, and
over time, there is a growing mutual transparency which should make us willing
to confront, or to be confronted, in love, when the need arises. That’s one of
the means by which we grow to be more like Christ.
Paul calls on
them in v. 15 to remember their history together, the “joy” they had when they
first believed. The word the NIV translates “joy” literally can be translated
remember the “blessing” [makarismoj] or “blessedness” [ESV]. The word can imply “a
feeling of joy, fulfillment and contentedness.” But when Paul asks in v.15, “What
became of your blessedness?” (ESV) I think he is saying that their response
to him was an evidence of God’s presence and blessing on them (cf. “unity”
as an evidence of blessing in Psalm 133). It is the sense we have when we
recognize God’s hand in a situation through which we were passing. Have you
been there? Paul reminds them “…you would have plucked out your eyes…” (That
may be a clue that the problem has something to do with Paul’s eyes). The primary
point is clear – the Galatians would have done anything for Paul, they loved
him in such a way that would have compelled
them to make any sacrifice on his behalf.
After reminding
them of their history, of the kind of relationship they had, he asks, “…have I become your enemy by telling you the
truth?” (v.16). Sometimes the truth
hurts, right? But if that pain is
motivated by love, shouldn’t we listen?
It broke the heart of Paul as it should break the heart of any Christian
to see a brother being turned from the truth – or living in a way that denies
the faith that they profess – how much more must it break the heart of God (Isa
5:4; Lk 13:34)! If we really love, we
must be willing to tell the truth!
The truth may
hurt, but remember the Proverb, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend,
deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov 27:6). Love must be tough! Many appreciate a messenger only as long as
he says what they want to hear (e.g. the rich young ruler, Luke 18:18-23). Brotherly
love should be the basis of our caring and accountability in the church, and our
growth, to the glory of God should be the goal.
III. If we love someone,
we desire God’s best for them, especially that they would become more like Christ (4:17-20).
17 They make much of you, but for no good
purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. 18 It is always good to be made
much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, 19 my little children, for whom I
am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! 20 I wish I could be present with
you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.
We saw the Christian
movie last week or so call “Courageous!” Remember the scene when the one dad makes
it clear that He is going to interview any suitors that want to date his daughter?
There are different views about dating… Are his intentions “honorable”? Paul is
making that kind of statement here, these false teachers don’t have good
motives! (17-18). Paul now warns the Galatians about who the real enemies were
–
In v.17 Paul describe the false teachers. They
are zealous, but for themselves. The
term “eagerly seek” was often used of a man courting a woman—Paul applies it to
false teachers who are trying to win the hearts of believers-Does this happen
today? Are some teachers guilty of skewed motives (Acts 20:28-30)? The contrast
is that faithful teachers are zealous to make disciples for Jesus, not for
themselves.
Paul contrasts
himself with the false teachers. His desire was for their growth that they would
achieve real maturity (19-20). Paul
refers to them tenderly as his “little children.” He uses it as a term
of endearment, but also implying that they would grow up! He says, “I am in the pains of child birth…”
The idea seems to be that as a mother experiences the agony of labor, she does
so willingly, longing for the birth of her child. Paul is saying to the Galatians,
“You are my spiritual children, yet I endure this suffering willingly, longing
for your transformation, that you would grow up to reflect the character of
Christ.”
When we are justified by grace through
faith, we are declared righteous. That is our position, our standing in Christ.
Experientially, Christ must increasingly be “formed in us.” The term morfow speaks to essential form rather than
mere outward appearance. The idea is
that believers should exhibit increasingly Christ-like character. This is the NT
dynamic of the Christian life, the indicative and the imperative in Paul, “This
is who you are and what you have in Christ, now act like it!”
In v. 20 Paul
says, “I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am
perplexed about you.” This shows the perplexity of Paul. It is like he is
saying, “I know you know better, how could you be taken in?” The verb reading “perplexed”
[aporeomai] means “to be at one’s wits end.” He could not understand how they could have
been taught the gospel well, believed it so genuinely, then appeared to be in
the process of forsaking it so quickly (cf. 1:6). And so he does the hard
thing, and confronts them in love.
What is God saying
to me in this passage?
Brotherly love should be the basis of our caring and accountability in the
church, and our growth, to God’s glory, should be the goal.
What would God
have me to do in response to this passage? What is the defining characteristic of your relationships
in the church? Is it really love? John wrote, “In this is love, not
that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the
propitiation for our sins. 11
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another...” (I John
4:10-11). What does love in the church
look like? It means really wanting the best for each other, wanting to see our
brothers and sisters growing in their faith, growing closer to God. 1) Do you
love your brother enough to confront him when necessary? 2) Are you willing to accept confrontation
when it is given in love? As we live this way in the church, those outside will
see: “By this men will know you are my
disciples, if you love one another…” To
God be the glory! AMEN.
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